State & Regional Interest	Wednesday, May 21, 2003
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Senate Judiciary approves tougher DUI standard (Published May 20‚ 2003) COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - A House bill creating tougher standards for driving under the influence is headed to the Senate floor. The bill would lower the legal blood-alcohol limit for drunken driving convictions from the current 0.10 percent to 0.08 percent. The state faces a federal deadline to get the bill on the books. Without it, federal highway funds would be withheld beginning in October, said Sen. Larry Martin, R-Pickens. "These are funds that are already in the pipeline that we are counting on to do construction projects," Martin said. In a separate bill, lawmakers increased fines for drunken-driving convictions. First-time conviction fines would increase to $400, up $100.

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